Western Civ

With the death of Edward VI and the failure of Jane Grey to seize the throne, Queen Mary's ascent seemed likely to mean there would be a dramatic and immediate change in religious policy. The evangeli...

8 Mar 202435min

The English Reformation really heats up between 1551 and 1553. Unfortunately, the boy king, Edward VI, dies young leaving the dream of a final evangelical nation unfulfilled. Edward attempts to cut hi...

1 Mar 20241h 4min

In this episode, Dudley, the Earl of Warwick, now dominates the Privy Council. As a result, the pace of religious reform decidedly quickens. The Mass is condemned. Altars are torn down. The "Old Relig...

23 Feb 202443min

Somerset survived his brother's poorly planned coup, but this time he won't be so lucky. The enclosure crisis continues to rock England and today that crisis erupts into the most dangerous domestic up...

16 Feb 20241h 15min

Today I sit down with historian David Reynolds and talk about his latest book: Mirrors of Greatness: Churchill and the Leaders Who Shaped Him.Winston Churchill remains one of the most revered figures ...

10 Feb 202452min

Today I sit down with Christopher Goscha to discuss his new book, Vietnam: A New History. In Vietnam, Christopher Goscha tells the full history of Vietnam, from antiquity to the present day. Generatio...

9 Feb 202456min

In this episode, we return to England. Edward VI is still a teenager and not in control of his own realm. His uncle, the Lord Protector Somerset, is trying his best to maintain power. But his brother,...

9 Feb 202437min

Henry takes command determined not to repeat his father's mistakes. Catherine, at his side, does her best to help him while continuing to battle Diane de Poitiers for her husband's attention. France f...

2 Feb 202443min